Sifting and mixing machine



(No Model.)

W. GARDNER.

SIFTING AND MIXING MACHINE.

No. 466,751. Patented Jan. 5, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM GARDNER, OF GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE'ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HUGHES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

HAMILTON, OI-IIO.

SIFTSING AND MIXING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 466,751, dated January5, 1892.

Application filed July 17, 1891. Serial No. 399,87 l. (No model.)Patented in England September 21, 1889, No. 10,606.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM GARDNER, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Gloucester, county of Gloucester, England, haveinvented a certain new and useful Sif ting and Mixing Machine, (forwhich I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 10,606,

bearing (late September 21, 1889,) of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in sifting and mixing machines ofthat class adapted to blend together different grades of flour or tosift and mix baking-powders, dry paints, and like substances; and itconsists in improvements in both the sifting and in the mixing mechanismof such machines.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide means for enablingthe surface of the sieve to be kept clean and at the same time to insurethe tailings or parts of the materials to be mixed which are too largeto pass through the meshes of the sieve to be automatically dischargedat one end of the sieve; second, to facilitate the removal of the sieveat will when required to repair same or to replace it by a sieve havinga finer or coarser mesh third, to improve and simplify the mixingmechanism and to enable same to be'more easily examined and cleaned. Iattain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the machine; Fig. 2,a transversesection of same; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the brush and sieve;Fig. 4, an end elevation of the rear end of the brush; Fig. 5, atransverse section of the top sieve or casing.

The material or materials to be sifted are supplied to one end of thesifting mechanism, preferably by a hopper A, of, any suitableconstruction, and provided with a shakingfeed, as shown, and fall ontothe sieve B,

which is mounted in a suitable frame 0 and is of semicircular form, ashaft D being mounted in suitable bearings in the frame in the axis ofthe sieve B and carrying a brush E, of spiral or helical form, which isin contact with the upper surface of the sieve B. At the opposite end ofthe sieve B to which the feed is supplied a chute or outlet F isarranged. The axis D of the brushEis caused to revolve, and the helicalor spiral brush in its rotation causes the material delivered to one endof the sieve B to travel along to the opposite end thereof, whereby theparts of such material which are sufficiently small are in its travelcaused to pass through the sieve B, the meshes of which are kept open bythe contact of the brush therewith, while the tailings or parts of thematerial which are too large to pass through the sieve are conveyed tothe opposite end thereof and discharged through the outlet or chute F,above mentioned.

The sieve B is mounted on an end piece or section b,which fits into acorresponding opening in the casing or frame 0, so thatit can be slidout from under the brush E, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, at theopposite end to where the power is applied to the brush-spindle whenrequisite to examine or repair or to replace same by a new sieve or by asieve having a different mesh.

Part of the sieve-casing is preferably provided with a fiap or lid G forthe purpose of inspection, in order to see whether the sifting actionand also the cleaning operation of the sieve by the brush is beingsatisfactorily effected, and also, if desired, to introduce directlyinto the mixer beneath any substance or substances which do not requireto be previously sifted.

In order to provide for the wear and tear of the brush E and theconsequent diminution of its diameter, the bearings d of the axis Dthereof are made adjustable, so that they may be lowered when requisite,and thus bring the lower surface of the brush E again in contact withthe top of the sieve B. lV hen necessary to sift substances which areliable to lump into pieces which a moderate pressure would readily breakup, the brush E, instead of being made in the form of a continuousspiral or helix from end to end, may have a portion of its lengthdivided into two or more sections, as shown at E, and such sectionsfilled with lines of bristles, fiber, or other suitable material runninglengthwise and having a slight twist in relation to the axis D. Theforward edge of each of the lines or sections of bristles, fiber, orother suitable material E in the direction of the rotation of the brushis made of less diameter than the spiral or helical portion of the brushand gradually increases in diameter to its back edge, where it is of thefull diameter of the spiral or helical portion. Any lumps in the m.ate-'rial will thus on leaving the spiral or helical portion of the brush Ecome under the action of the lines or sections of bristles, fiber, or

other suitable material E, and as the brush rotates or revolves suchlumps will be first acted upon by the forward edges of the lines orsections and pressed against the sieve B. The increasing diameter ofsuch lines or sections toward their rear edge causes agradually-increasing pressure to be exerted on such lumps, therebyreducing same and enabling the greater portion thereof to pass throughthe sieve. The twist of the lines or sections E insures the advance ofthe material along the sieve as it is crushed. The part of the brushwhich is form ed into longitudinal twisted sections E is also preferablyinclosed on its upper side by a semicirculartop casing B, so that thisportion of the brush rotates or revolves in a barrel or cylinder and thecrushing action on the lumps will take place all round. WVhen the brushis provided with longitudinaltwisted sections of bristles, fiber, orother suitable material on part of its length, at the extreme rear endof each of such sections a small portion of the bristles, fiber, orother suitable material is again arranged in a spiral or helical form ofthe full diameter of the brush, as shown at E Figs. 1 and 4, and form asegmental or sectional continuation of the spiral E of the first part ofthe brush, the object of such end spiral being to insure the promptdelivery of the tailings or parts of the material which will not passthrough the sieve through the outlet or chute F as soon as they leavethe lines or sections of bristles, fiber, or other suitable material Eand arrive at the discharge end of the sieve. The semicircular casing Bis also mounted in a frame which can be taken out through the top of thecasing of the machine, for which purpose said topis made removable.

Thesiftin g apparatus above described may be arranged above a mixingapparatus consisting of a shaft H, mounted to revolve in suitablebearings 7i in a closed casing I, into which the materials to be mixedfall from the sieve B. Shaft H carries one, two, or

more helical blades K, running in the same direction and parallel toeach other along the axis, the bottom of easing I being semicircular toconform to such blades K. Said helical blades K have formed thereon orsecured thereto at suitable distances apart flights, bars, or segmentsof helices L, set in an opposite direction or at an angle opposite tothat of blades K in relation to the direction of rotation thereof. AxisH is caused to rotate by any suitable means, and the effect is thatwhereas the blades K tend to convey the materials to be mixed towardoutlet-spout M the said flights L tend to convey said materials in adirection from said outlet-spout. The contin nous surface presented andthe larger circle described by said blades K exerts the greaterinfluence on said materials, while the disconn ected surface presentedto said materials and the lesser circle described by said flights L onlyretards the progress of said materials to said outlet-spout M to permitthe constituent parts thereof to be continuously displaced andintimately intermingled together by the combined action thereon of saidblades K and flights, bars, or segments L. The bottom of theagitator-casing is hinged at I, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it can opendownward and thus enable the casing itself and also the blades K andsegments L of the agitator to be examined, cleaned, and repaired whendesired, and may also serve to enable the materials, when thoroughlymixed, to be discharged from the apparatus; but I prefer to provide anoutlet or discharge spout M in the casing I for the latter purpose, suchoutlet, if desired, being provided with a slide m to regulate thedischarge.

As the blades K are continuous and are set so that the rotation of theagitator tends to cause the material to travel toward the outlet M,while the bars L, tending to cause such material to travel away fromsuch outlet, are interrupted or segmental, the material will graduallybe advanced by said blades K to the outlet M.

Motion may be imparted to shaft D of brush E of the sifting mechanismand also to shaft H of the agitator or mixer in any suitable manner, andeither independently or from one of said shafts to the other bychaingearing, as shown, or by any other suitable transmission.

I am aware that prior to my invention sifting and mixing apparatuscombined in one machine have been made. I thereforedo not claim such acombination, broadly; but

\Vhatl do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In a sifting and mixing machine, the combination, substantially asspecified, of a casing,a removable semicircular sieve therein, arevoluble brush journaled in bearings, said brush havinga portion of itslength in the form of a helix and the remaining portion formed ofseparate sections disposed longitudinally, the surface of said sectionsbeing inclined outwardly from the front to the rear edge thereof,respectively, and a removable cap adapted to iuclose the latter portionof said brush.

2. In a sifting and mixing machine, the combination, substantially asspecified, of a sifting mechanism, a mixing-chamber depending therefrom,a semicircular bottom to said site to the direction of said blades andparchamber, a shaft axially rotatable in said allel to said bottom.

chamber, two or more parallel helical blades WILLIAM GARDNER. connectedby arms to said shaft and extend- Witnesses:

ing near to said bottom, and flights, bars, 01' SAMUEL MEADOWS,

segments of helices centrally attached to the \VILLIAM T. RAWBONE, inneredges of said blades at an angle oppo- Both of Gloucestev', England.

